Taking the Work Out of Networking

Your Guide to Making and Keeping Great Connections

By: Karen Wickre

Narrated by: Karen Wickre

The former Google executive, editorial director of Twitter, and self-described introvert offers networking advice for anyone who has ever cancelled a coffee date due to social anxiety - about how to nurture a vibrant circle of reliable contacts without leaving your comfort zone.

Networking has garnered a reputation as a sort of necessary evil in the modern business world. Some do relish the opportunity to boldly work the room, introduce themselves to strangers, and find common career ground - but for many others, the experience is often awkward, or even terrifying.

The common networking advice for introverts are variations on the theme of overcoming or “fixing” their quiet tendencies. But Karen Wickre is a self-described introvert who has worked in Silicon Valley for 30 years. She tells you to embrace your true nature to create sustainable connections that can be called upon for you to get - and give - career assistance, advice, introductions, and lasting connections.

Karen’s “embrace your quiet side” approach is for anyone who finds themselves shying away from traditional networking activities, or for those who would rather be curled up with a good book on a Friday night than out at a party. For example, if you’re anxious about that big professional mixer full of people you don’t know, she advises you to consider skipping it (many of these are not productive), and instead set up an intimate, one-on-one coffee date. She tells how to truly make the most out of social media to sustain what she calls “the loose touch habit” to build your own brain trust to last a lifetime.

With compelling arguments and creative strategies, this new way to network is perfect not only for introverts, but for anyone who wants for a less conventional approach to get ahead in today’s job market.

©2018 Karen Wickre (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio

Hate networking? Get this book.

Karen offers a well-written, well-read guide for those of us who would rather do anything by network.

Highly recommend it!!!

Found it really enjoyable to hear and help identify some areas of opportunities I need to work on.

I wish I had read it or heard it a while back.

Great book Karen

Very good, highly recommended

Karen covers all the basics with specific examples of what to do and what not to do - and really interesting as taken from the point of view of an Introvert.

I liked it

It helped me to prepare to one networking event
Of course it should be more advice on what are topic starets.

Great ideas about building relationships

A great book on the topic of building and sustaining relationships in the modern age. The author shares several actionable ideas and is clearly an expert on the topic. One of the best books on the topic, I've read in recent years. The book has excellent ideas for both introverts and extroverts and is a terrific reminder that we're living in a relationships first era.

Way too pedantic

This book starts off strong for the first 2 hours or so, recommending to the reader a new paradigm for networking that involves staying in loose touch with a good number of people using simple means like email, text, or social media, rather than grinding away at networking events.

But then the author goes into asinine detail about the intricacies of Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, the functions of email, and even emojis. These were written as if the reader would be ignorant as to these services, even though this book was published in 2018.

I still overall found the book helpful, but most readers can safely call it quits once she starts diving into the section on social media

Not helpful

Email people. 2/3 of the book is summarized. I bought this because I wanted to be a good conversationalist-- you know where that one person engages everyone and keeps the topics light. So I am still looking for that book. The author talked a lot about finding a new job, but most people need help connecting with people at the job they have now. Will be returning.

can't listen to the author read this book

she should have hired somebody, can't listen to her read this book she sure does sound like an introvert